Chapter 5
Chapter five
Pretty Boy
“When I agreed to protection, I did not mean you,” Lila snapped.
I chuckled as I trailed after her, pleased to see she was just as sharp as ever this morning. She retrieved a set of keys from her purse and unlocked the front door of her boutique, prepared to open the shop for the day.
Recoil had spent the night outside her apartment, keeping an eye on her. At the crack of dawn, I changed shifts with him and took over. And Lila wasn’t happy about it.
“You barely agreed to protection in the first place,” I pointed out.
“Because it’s completely unnecessary.”
Lila shoved the door open and stepped inside, turning on the lights as she went.
A rainbow of silks, satins, and laces filled every inch of the shop.
I remember when Noir Delights used to be nothing more than a few scribbles on the back of a gas station receipt.
Lila had worked her ass off to make her dream become a reality, starting an inclusive, body positive lingerie shopping experience for all shapes and sizes.
I gave a thoughtful hum as I hooked a finger into a silky powder blue camisole and picked it up from a nearby display table. I pictured Lila wearing it, with her smooth golden brown skin, curvy hips, and small perky tits clearly visible through the sheer fabric—
Lila swatted my hand and snatched the top away from me.
“No touching.”
“What if I need a gift for a special lady in my life?” I protested.
She scoffed.
“You’re allergic to commitment. There has never been a special lady in your life because you’re too busy chasing every skirt in town.”
“Is that jealousy I hear in your voice, sweetheart?” I teased. “Are you feeling left out? I can remedy that—”
I took a step toward her, sliding my hands around her hips. Lila planted her palm in my chest and pushed me away.
“I said no touching. Not the merchandise and definitely not me.”
Pulling back, I held my hands up in surrender.
“All this stress is taking a toll on you, Lila. You should probably find a way to release it. A quick hate fuck would do the trick.”
She flicked an irritated glance at me as she moved to the front desk, busying herself with tidying up what didn’t need to be tidied at all.
“I don’t care if you’re volunteering your dick for the job. I’m not interested.”
Propping my hands on the front desk's counter, I leaned in close.
“I could volunteer other body parts—fingers, tongue—I’m not picky.”
Lila made a noise of disgust and turned to face me. Her dark eyes glittered, and she matched my lean until we were nearly nose to nose. The warm, sharp oranges of her perfume mingled with the caramel-sweet scent of the coffee she’d picked up on her way here.
Attagirl, sweetheart, I thought. Show me that fire.
Lila would never admit if she was struggling under the weight of what she was going through. With her dad in the hospital after a heart attack, and now this bullshit with Sweeney on top of it, she must have a lot on her mind.
Looking into her eyes now, I could see she was still standing strong.
Just as she took a breath to speak, the bell over the door jingled, announcing we weren’t alone anymore.
Hades’s ex-wife, Jenny, entered the shop in a breezy lemon-yellow sundress, and a giant floral print handbag hooked over one shoulder.
Despite the loose fabric of her dress, her juicy curves were impossible to hide.
It was a miracle someone hadn’t snatched up such a full-figured goddess of a woman like her yet.
I suspected Hades’s lurking presence tended to scare off any potential suitors.
“Oh, Lila, honey, how are you doing?” She swept Lila up into one of her trademark mother bear hugs, bringing a cloud of sugar cookie perfume with her. “Any news on your dad?”
“I called the hospital this morning and he’s much better,” Lila replied. “Healthy appetite, cussing out the nurses. The doctor gave him the green light to head home later today, as long as he rests. I’ll be picking him up in two hours.”
Jenny sighed with relief, pressing a hand to her chest.
“I’m so glad to hear that. I dropped off the kids with my mom for the day, so I can help with the shop as long as you need me.”
“You’re a godsend. Thank you for showing up on such short notice.”
“Hey, I can help, too,” I offered.
Lila glanced at me and flicked her hand, shooing me away.
“Go sit down. And don’t leer at my customers like a lecherous creep.”
“What if they ask for my opinion?” I countered. “Maybe they would appreciate a man’s perspective.”
“Trust me, they won’t,” Lila replied in a flat tone.
Admitting defeat, I wandered off, leaving Lila and Jenny to talk. I sprawled on the loveseat near the dressing rooms, picking up a magazine from the end table and flicking through it. I didn’t pay any attention to the underwear models on the glossy pages.
My gaze was locked on Lila.
Two hours later, Lila left the shop in Jenny’s capable hands while we headed to the hospital. Bruiser had the cage idling by the curb when we arrived.
The battered old van was rescued by the club from a wrecking yard a few years ago. We replaced the engine, gave her a new set of brakes, and a fresh coat of blue paint. She still looked rough around the edges, but she got us where we needed to go.
In the waiting room, Tarzan, Psycho, and Seven paced in restless, ambling circles. Lila hugged them all, standing on tiptoe to wrap her arms around their necks.
“I told you I had it covered,” she said. “You boys didn’t need to show up.”
Seven shrugged.
“We figured your old man is as stubborn as an ox and you’ll probably need an extra hand keeping him in line.”
“Can you bully him into eating a better diet for me? You’re the medic. He might listen to you.”
“Probably not, but I’ll give it a shot,” Seven replied.
Ten minutes later, the five of us had Hillbilly in a wheelchair despite his blustering protests.
We did get some funny looks, decked out in our biker cuts and heavy boots as we made our way down the hospital’s corridor.
Psycho and Seven flanked either side of Hillbilly’s wheelchair, while Tarzan pushed.
Lila and I brought up the rear like a parade.
“This is ridiculous,” Hillbilly said. “I can walk, for fuck’s sake.”
“Like father, like daughter,” I muttered. "I see where you get your stubbornness from."
Lila wrinkled her nose in my direction and shouldered past me to walk beside Hillbilly.
“It’s hospital policy, Dad,” she said.
He tried to push out of the chair but Tarzan clamped a large hand on his shoulder and held him in place.
“Since when did I start following the rules?” Hillbilly groused. “I’ve always been a rebel, damn it.”
Lila patted his arm.
“Don’t worry. You’re still a badass.”
“I’m already pissed off, Lila. Patronizing me will only make things worse.”
Psycho snickered.
“What’s so funny?” Hillbilly demanded.
“Nothing, Prez,” Psycho replied. “It’s just good to have you back.”
After getting Hillbilly settled in the cage, the rest of us followed Bruiser back to Hillbilly’s house. Keely and Shea were in the kitchen, unloading groceries on the table, stocking up the refrigerator.
Hillbilly gestured to a pile of green leafy vegetables.
“Not a hamburger in sight. I’m going to starve.”
Keely laughed.
“Kenny hates eating his greens, too, and I’ve managed to sneak them into all kinds of things now. He barely notices.”
Hillbilly inspected a carrot with a skeptical sniff.
“I’m a grumpy old man, not a toddler. You’re not hiding spinach in my food. I’ll know. Who do I have to bribe around here for a thick steak—bloody and rare—with greasy fries?”
“Dad,” Lila scolded, swatting his arm. “Are you trying to end up back at the hospital? And what about your meds? I don’t want to hear that you haven’t been taking them.”
“Lila, you’re fussing.”
“With good reason! And don’t you dare compare me to my mother again.”
I stood off to the side, leaning against the door frame of the kitchen as I watched the bustling activity.
Despite Hillbilly’s vocal insistence that he was fine, I could still see the fatigue etched in his face.
The way his shoulders drooped and his breathing seemed a little labored suggested he hadn’t fully recovered yet.
And Lila…
Lila was in overdrive. She wouldn’t stop moving, wired with nervous energy. The way she chattered endlessly wasn’t like her either.
“Are you warm enough? I don't want you catching cold on top of everything else. I could whip something up if you’re hungry. I’ve left your medications on the kitchen counter, next to the sink with written instructions on when to take them. And then—”
I pushed off the door frame and curved my hand around Lila’s arm.
“He’s okay, Lila,” I whispered.
She snapped her mouth shut, chewing her lower lip. For a brief moment, her shoulder bumped against my chest as she leaned into me.
Then she shrugged my hand off, rubbing her arm.
“Wrap it up, everyone,” I announced. “Let’s clear out so Prez can rest.”
I lifted my chin in Psycho’s direction, indicating he had the first watch on Hillbilly.
It wasn’t going to be easy, keeping the Sweeney issue quiet.
At the first sign that we might be hiding something from Hillbilly, he would be like a dog with a bone, hunting down answers.
Psycho knew how to disappear like a ghost when he wanted to, and I was hoping those skills would come in handy now.
We still didn’t have Sweeney’s money though. With less than twenty-four hours to go, it wasn’t looking good.
Lila and I were the last ones to leave. She gave Hillbilly one final squeeze, then tore herself away.
In the driveway, she paused at her car door, gripping the handle. She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath.
She looked…drained. Like she was seconds away from melting to the floor with a sob.
“Lila?” I said, concerned.
“I need a drink,” she rasped. “Something strong. Something that will…make me stop thinking for a little while.”
I nodded, rapping my knuckles on the hood of her car.
“Would you like some company? Or would you prefer to drink alone? Not that I would leave you alone, but it’s the thought that counts.”
Her eyes slid open and she fixed her gaze on me.
“Are you going to sneak a peek down my shirt?”
I arched an eyebrow, surprised that her tone almost sounded…inviting. Or maybe that was my imagination playing tricks on my mind.
“Do you want me to?”
She hedged for a moment.
“I’ve come to expect that from you. When an opportunity presents itself, you take it, right?”
Ah. So that’s what she was after—some semblance of normalcy.
“Get me drunk enough and I might even be brave enough to feel you up,” I replied.
Lila huffed a dry laugh and pulled her door open.
“No touching the goods, remember?”